Urban Hawks

January 24, 2006December 16, 2020Owls

Three or Four Eastern Screech-Owls

Marie Winn had wondered on her site if the four owls we had been seeing were actually just three. (Update: On of Marie’s reader’s wrote in to report having seen all four in the same day. I think we all ended up agreeing that there were four owl.)

So, I dug up some old photos from the Riviera and the West Drive cavities. The first two owls are from the East Side and the second two owls are from the West Side I’d say we have (had?) four owls, but you could argue three.

January 22, 2006December 16, 2020Owls

Great Horned Owl Stays Up North

On Sunday, the Great Horned Owl was in the North Woods for the second day. It had chosen a much safer location than its Saturday tree. It was in a much quieter and more secluded area. It had also chosen a higher perch.

Unlike on Saturday, when the owl was wide awake and alert most of the afternoon, on Sunday the owl for the most part looked to be sleeping, opening its eyes and turning its head only on a few occasions when I saw it around 2 p.m.

If you go birding in the North Woods, please keep the noise levels down around the Great Horned, keep your distance and avoid flash photography. We have a day sleeper who needs some shuteye as our guest! Let’s be good hosts.

The American Birding Association has an excellent Code of Birding Ethics. It’s great reading, and reminds advanced birders to coach newer birders about birding etiquette.

January 21, 2006December 16, 2020Owls

Great Horned Owl Moves Thirty Blocks

After hearing reports of the possibility of Buteo hawks other than Red-Tails in the park, I went birding on a wonderfully warm Saturday starting at 105th and 5th Avenue hoping to find a new hawk species for my Central Park list.

I walked past the Meer which had an interesting selection of birds: 2 Mute Swans, 3 female Wood Ducks, an American Coot, a male Gadwall, 2 Buffleheads, a few Ruddy Ducks, Mallards, Canadian Geese, and Ring-billed Gulls.

As I walked through the North Woods, I heard an incredible number of jays harassing something on a path. Oh, great I thought, a new hawk! I went around and saw not only Blue Jays but Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, and a Downey Woodpecker all around one tree branch. Tucked behind a number of branches wasn’t a hawk, but a Great Horned Owl. Most likely, the one who has spent the last month roosting in the Ramble.

Squirrels are just as inquisitive in the North Woods as they are in the Ramble.

The Owl kept an eye on dogs and children while I was there, but the combination of a gentleman with very loud boom-box and a passing weather front (very dark clouds and high winds for about fifteen minutes) spooked the owl. It first moved to a tree about 20 feet north, for a few minutes.

It then went to a branch on the largest tree in a meadow.

After about fifteen minutes of stretching and preening (Plus two appearances by a bat. A bat in January!!!) the Owl makes it way from tree to tree going southwest. After a few minutes the Owl then took a long trip south out of sight.

January 20, 2006December 16, 2020Owls

Great Horned Owl Yoga

Some pre-fly out stretches. What should we call the last one? The DeLorean?

January 16, 2006December 16, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Monday Holiday – Red-tailed Hawk in the Loch

While in the Loch looking for owls, I saw this immature Red-tailed Hawk make its way north along the western path of the Loch (the stream/valley that runs from the Pool to the Harlem Meer between 103rd and 106th Streets in the center of the park). When it got to the northern end, it stayed for twenty minutes overlooking the skaters at the Lasker Rink.

January 16, 2006December 28, 2020Other Animals, Other Birds

Monday Holiday – Birds and Racoons

I spent the afternoon in the park, starting at 105th and Fifth, first exploring the Conservatory Garden (which I discovered has two stray cats living in the snow), the Meer and the Loch. I then went down to 79th and explored the Ramble.

I had planned my day to look for owls of any kind. So, it was a hunt for tree cavities (Eastern Screech Owls) (where did the 5 Eastern Screech Owls we saw in the Spring go?), in bushes (Northern Saw-whet Owls), and Evergreens (Long-eared Owls). I didn’t have any luck. My only owl of the day was the Great Horned Owl, who had returned to the tree it had used earlier in the week.

As often happens with birding, I saw interesting things I wasn’t looking for…